History of St Cuthbert's Society

In 1832, the university only had one college, now known as University College, situated in Durham Castle. In 1846 this was followed by Hatfield Hall. Before 1888 a significant number of students registered for degree courses but chose not to be allocated to a college. They were known as the ‘unattached’. These unattached came together informally and on October 25th 1888 established themselves as St. Cuthbert’s Society with the objective of giving a dimension other than the academic to their lives in Durham.

It was agreed that they organise debates, concerts, lectures and sports teams. From 1888 to the beginning of the First World War the Society had a membership of less than fifty but successfully took part in all the activities of the University, academic and sport. During the inter-war period membership slumped and there were several occasions when the University authorities considered closing the Society down. At the start of the Second World War St. Cuthbert’s closed for the duration and re-opened in 1946.

The ‘Refounders’ who started up Cuthbert’s after the war were mainly men who had served in the armed forces and wanted to complete their degree courses or had decided to take up opportunities to follow professional careers. There were a few normal school leavers. In 1947, St. Cuthbert’s Society became the recognised designation of the non-collegiate students. At this time there were no permanent buildings that the students could use. Over a period of six years they moved from one set of rooms to another in order that the Junior Common Room could meet and members could talk to their tutors.

Historic Maps

In 1952 the Society obtained 12 and 13 South Bailey, our current headquarters. Once there, St. Cuthbert’s started to expand and by the end of the decade membership was nearly 300. The 60s, 70s and 80s were mainly consolidation years. Membership remained at 300 but the Society expanded in the Bailey and added several houses in the City to its housing stock. In 1988 it was decided that the Society should increase its membership in order to help the University expand. From 1988 to 1997 numbers increased from 300 to nearly 1000.

In 2002, the Society was under threat from a proposal to give our Bailey home away and relocate the Society to a purpose-built Hall of Residence to be called ‘St Cuthbert’s College’. The JCR made it clear that they were opposed to any move, a move which would destroy our traditions and ethos, those laid down by our founders in 1888 and re-emphasised by the Refounders in 1946. The Society Staff backed the JCR’s position and as we celebrate fifty years on the Bailey we look forward with optimism to our centenary anniversary on the Bailey in 2052. It is a beautiful location and one of the biggest selling points for us as a college.

Until 2006, only a small percentage of the students in the Society lived in our own accommodation on the Bailey. Those who could not be accommodated lived out across the city. The biggest residences were in Observatory House, on Potter’s Bank, No. 24 The Avenue, Rookstone-Whitfield near the Dryburn Hospital as well as a number of smaller properties in the Viaduct and Gilesgate areas of Durham.

Now, however, we have two sites: one at the Bailey and one at Parsons Field. Parsons Field allows our students to be self-catered and we have 192 en suite rooms. The dimensions of the Society have changed hugely and we resemble the other colleges more than we ever have. The ethos of the JCR, however, is believed by many of its members to be unique across the University. St. Cuthbert’s Society has unparalleled levels of student involvement and the JCR is always keen to work with the Senior Staff who keep the Society functioning on a day-to-day basis.

Looking back over the past 120 years, things are different nowadays; things have changed considerably in fact. The President of the Society is no longer resposible for the administration of the Society – the day to day running rests with the Senior College Staff who work extremely hard for all the students to create an all-encompassing, diverse and supportive environment in which to spend your time as a student. The JCR, managed on behalf of the Students, by its Executive, strives to provide you with a vast number of sporting and social opportunities. We spend more money on sports and societies than any other JCR (in fact more than a lot of them put together) and our JCR is diverse, caring and allows for anybody to get involved. We are a democratically run student union who are here for the benefit of all our members.

If you want any more information about the history of St. Cuthbert’s Society or the JCR then please contact our President, Tom Smith, on cuthberts.jcr-president@durham.ac.uk. He’ll be glad to provide you with any information you want!

For further reading, also see:
Tudor, Henry (1988), St. Cuthbert’s Society 1888-1988, St. Cuthbert’s Society, Durham.

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